Within Myself
by MistOfGrayDawn
Summary: AU fic.THIS IS AN OC STORY, IF YOU DON'T LIKE DON'T READ. What if Vegeta found something else when he came to Earth? Something like a female Saiyan. But her Saiyan side was somehow sealed away within her, and he's running out of time...
1. Chapter 1

The short, spiky-haired man stepped out of the round space pod, stretching his limbs. His companion, a large, bulky bald man with a mustache, soon followed from his own pod. The short one smirked at the sight of the fleeing townspeople.

"Hey, Vegeta," his companion hailed him. "What are we here for again?" Vegeta rolled his eyes.

"Figure it out, Nappa," he replied coldly. He was still pondering why Raditz had not returned. The average power level for the inhabitants of this planet was only 5, what could possibly have detained him? There was the possibility of ship problems, but wouldn't he have said something? He had said something about a brother on the planet. Kakarrot, was it? Vegeta shrugged it off. Raditz had only been a third class warrior anyway. "Nappa, find us some food, I'm going exploring." He ordered curtly. The burly Saiyan next to him nodded and took off.

Vegeta took to the skies to get a good look at the planet. He wanted to get to know the terrain. He passed skyscrapers, businesses, and apartment complexes, and nothing really caught his eye. Until he smelled the food, that is. The smell appeared to be coming from near a small pool outside a rather shabby apartment complex. Landing next to the pool, he saw only one person there.

She was lying down on a beach chair in a bikini, reading a book while sipping a beverage. A bag of delicious-smelling food sat on a small table next to her. She had shoulder-length raven-black hair, which was wild and slightly spiky. But what really caught his attention was the slender, furry tail protruding just above her bikini line. It was waving in the air like a furry question mark, the tip twitching slightly. Vegeta was dumbfounded. There were only four Saiyans left in existence, and they were all male! He had not seen a female Saiyan since he was five years old.

She looked at him, leaping to her feet.

"What are you doing?" she exclaimed. "Why are you just staring at me like that?" This immediately snapped the Saiyan prince from his daydream. The fur on her tail puffed out in anger. For a moment he was speechless, and then found his voice.

"No need to yell, woman, I'm right here!" he snapped at her. She gave him a strange look.

"What are you wearing?" She asked in distaste. He growled in annoyance.

"Shut up, woman, I need to ask some questions." She growled back at him, showing her teeth.

"Woman? I have a name, you know!" She crossed her arms and tapped her foot.

"Please, do enlighten me," he said sarcastically. "My name is Vegeta, prince of the Saiyans." The raven-haired girl looked slightly confused.

"I'm Sasha, and what's a Saiyan? I've never heard of that country." Vegeta was speechless. This girl had no idea what she was!

"Well, you, for one." He replied matter-of-factly. Sasha's onyx eyes widened. "What do you mean?" Vegeta huffed in annoyance. "Why else do you think you have a tail?" He uncurled his own tail from around his waist. She stared at it for a moment.

"Wow, you have a tail, too! I thought I was the only one."

"You're partially right. Saiyans are almost extinct. There are only four in existence, counting you." Sasha looked shocked.

"Can you explain this later? I kinda want to have lunch." Suddenly Vegeta remembered how hungry he was.

"Do you have enough for two?"

She smiled sheepishly. Vegeta found himself liking that smile. "You wouldn't believe how much I eat." He smirked.

"I think I can relate." She smiled again, her eyes sparkling. She opened the bag, which was labeled 'McDonald's', and pulled out six cheeseburgers, five boxes of French fries, and two cherry pies. Vegeta's stomach growled loudly, and Sasha giggled slightly at the sound. He 'hmphed' and waited for the food.

They both devoured the meal at inhuman speeds, finished in a matter of minutes. Vegeta still wasn't satisfied, but was used to that feeling by now. He could see that she wasn't either, but made no mention of it. The prince was surprised at how late it was; the sun was already setting. Sasha noticed this as well.

"So, I suppose you need a place to crash tonight?"

Vegeta looked at her blankly. She giggled again. "Do you want to stay at my apartment tonight?"

The short prince pondered this for a moment. He didn't have anywhere else to go, so why not? "Very well," was his only response. Sasha put a shirt over her swimsuit and collected her things. She flicked her tail for Vegeta to follow. Instead of going inside, she led him around the building so they were standing under the balcony. She walked over to the wall, and kicked it three times in a certain spot, causing a rope to fall from the balcony. She clambered up the rope like a monkey, standing at the top in less than a minute.

"Come on, you can climb, can't you?" she called down. Vegeta smirked, levitating up to the balcony. Sasha's jaw dropped in amazement. "How did you do that?" she asked, bewildered. He scoffed.

"It's simple, if you know what to do." Her expression changed from awe to excitement.

"Teach me, teach me!" she begged, tail lashing in excitement.

"Stop that!" Vegeta snapped. "It's no way for a Saiyan to behave!" Her squeals instantly ceased.

"Sorry." The Saiyan girl opened the sliding-glass door, inviting him to enter first.

The prince was shocked by the shabbiness of the place. It wasn't trashy, but the furniture was sagging and worn, the carpet faded, and generally showed signs of disrepair. "This is where you live?" he asked, slightly disbelieving.

"Yeah, why?" she asked, sounding hurt. Vegeta scoffed.

"As a Saiyan, you deserve a thousand times better!" Sasha smiled.

"Thanks, but it's all me and my dad can afford. We spend most of our money on food. You saw how much I eat." For the first time, Vegeta noticed that he could see her ribs when she stretched, and her clothes were worn and either too big or too small. Saiyans needed a lot of food, and she obviously wasn't getting enough to eat. Sasha led him into the small kitchen, where she offered him a seat and some food. He declined out of politeness.

"Do you live alone?" he asked out of curiosity. Sasha set down the bottle of water she had been drinking. "No, I live with my dad."

"What happened to your mother?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. My dad said I was adopted. That scared me at first, but I never knew my parents, so I don't know whether that's a good thing or not."

"Do you remember anything, anything at all, about your infancy?" She gave him a strange look.

"No, and I don't know anyone who can." Vegeta's brow furrowed. Somehow her memories had been locked away, probably somewhere deep in her subconscious.

"Never mind," he said absently. She led him to her room, where they would be sleeping. It was like the rest of the house, shabbier than usual, but not trashy. It was a small room, with books and clothes strewn everywhere. A hammock hung in place of a bed. Well, it was more like a sheet tied to hooks in the wall. A ratty-looking mattress, covered with a sheet, sat in the corner of the room to serve as a couch.

Sasha smiled sheepishly.

"I know, it's not very neat, but that's just me." Vegeta just crossed his arms and 'hmphed'. She glanced at a small digital clock sitting on the floor next to the dark blue sheet that was a hammock. It read 8:45. "Wow, it's later than I thought. We should get to sleep; I have school tomorrow." He cocked a brow.

"Why so early?"

"Well…" Sasha looked at the floor awkwardly. "I have trouble sleeping most nights, so I try to get to sleep early." She quickly changed the subject. "I'll get your bed made." She picked up a dark navy sheet from the floor, and deftly tied it to hooks in opposite walls, across from her own. Tugging on it to make sure it was secure, she turned around. "You can get undressed for bed; I'll go to the bathroom. You can wear these." She tossed a pair of boxer shorts at his face. The prince's Saiyan reflexes allowed him to catch them easily. "Don't worry, they're clean," she said with an amused smile. With that she darted down the narrow hallway to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

Vegeta was still shocked at the welcome he was getting. She had offered him, a complete stranger who had landed in her backyard, food, a place to stay, and her friendship. It just wasn't Saiyan nature to be trusting and hospitable. It was obvious that her memories of being a Saiyan were somehow buried deep in her mind. He would have to fix that, he decided. He would bring out her Saiyan side, and maybe get her to leave this dirt pile of a planet and work to overthrow Freeza.

His mind drifted back to the situation at hand. He was reluctant to remove his armor, but decided it would be nice to wear something different for a change. He folded the blue spandex and put it inside the chest plate, along with his scouter, placing them both beneath the hammock. The black boxer shorts were a good fit, and surprisingly comfortable.

Footsteps made Vegeta turn his head to the doorway, where Sasha reentered the room, wearing a similar pair of boxers and a bra. The spiky-haired prince couldn't resist looking her body over. She was more than slender from her lack of food, but this did little to detract from her beauty. Her raven-black hair was shiny and wet from her recent shower, reaching just past her shoulders. Her onyx eyes matched his own. The furry, cocoa-brown tail swayed gently back and forth, the tip twitching slightly. Her chest was pleasingly large, and accented her hourglass figure nicely. The long legs were smooth and tan, like the rest of her. She was, all in all, a desirable Saiyan.

"Do you want to help me with my homework?" she asked hopefully. "I'm not great in school, and I don't focus well, especially when left alone."She gave Vegeta's favorite sheepish smile. He shrugged.

"Let's see what pathetic Earthling work you have to do," he said grudgingly. Sasha dug into a backpack, pulling out a wrinkled piece of paper. Her name, Sasha Brennan, was scrawled at the top. Vegeta looked at the paper. It was filled with numbers, letters, funny-looking symbols, letters in italics, and parentheses. "What are you supposed to do?" he asked, trying to mask his utter confusion.

"To tell the truth, I have no idea." She said, clearly as confused as he was.

"Well, that helps," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I know; I usually don't do it for that exact reason. It's too hard. And boring." Sasha took the paper from his hand, stuffing it back into the bookbag. She picked up an extra pillow and blanket and tossed them at him, which he threw onto his hammock.

The sound of the door opening made both their heads turn toward the noise. "That's my dad, coming home from work. He won't mind that you're here." She got up to greet her father. Vegeta decided to stay where he was for now. They exchanged greetings, and Sasha was back in a matter of minutes. "Vegeta's spending the night, Dad!" She called out the door.

"Ok," her father called back absently. "Crazy nicknames…" Vegeta heard him mutter. The prince smirked at the man's ignorance. He smelled that Sasha had brought food, and a good bit. She set on the floor a bucket of fried chicken, a bag of potato chips, and something he couldn't believe. It was a Saiyan dessert; a very sweet, soft bread that was delicious eaten warm. He couldn't believe that she had been able to make it with no knowledge of her Saiyan past, and lowly Earth ingredients.

"Is that what I think it is?" he asked in disbelief. Sasha looked up.

"Oh, I don't really know what it is, but it's really good. I just kinda know what to add; it's weird." Vegeta was dumbfounded. Tentatively he reached out for a piece of the soft bread. It gave easily under his touch. It was soft and still warm. He almost gasped as the sweet taste registered on his tongue. Long-buried memories were suddenly jolted to the present.

_Five year old Prince Vegeta was sitting next to his mother in the royal palace, eating the soft, sweet bread trademark of his race. The sweetness of the bread and the comfortable heat were making him drowsy. Queen Celeria looked fondly down at her son._

"_My son," she said, "always remember that you are never alone." Little Vegeta looked back up at her, confused._

"_But Mother, what if I'm the last Saiyan?" The Saiyan queen smiled gently._

"_Even then, you will have someone." Her soft hand soothingly rubbing his back was the last thing the prince remembered before drifting off into peaceful sleep._

Vegeta was thrown back to the present by his body being shaken.

"Vegeta! Vegeta, wake up!" Sasha was saying urgently. He jumped.

"What is it, woman?" he snapped, more out of surprise than anger.

"I don't know," she said, sounding confused. "You just kinda spaced out for a minute there, I guess." He just looked down at the floor as a wave of sadness and longing came over him. The taste of the bread reminded him of his mother, and planet Vegeta. Tears stung at his eyes, but he quickly pushed them back. Crying was no way for a Saiyan price to act! "Hey, are you ok?" Sasha's soft, concerned voice pulled him from his memories.

"I'm fine." His voice wasn't as cold and uncaring as he would have liked. It sounded more like the stubborn voice of a disappointed child. To Vegeta's complete surprise, Sasha gently put her arm around his shoulders, like she could sense his sadness. He didn't feel like expending the energy to push her away. Her tail found his and twined around it.

"Do you miss her?" she asked softly. Vegeta looked up at her in shock. She smiled gently. "My dad says I get the same look in my eyes when I think about my mom." He thought about denying it, but knew it was futile. He gave a reluctant nod. "It's ok to miss her; everyone has feelings." Sasha consoled gently. Vegeta thought about this for a moment. Saiyans weren't supposed to have feelings. They were supposed to be cold-hearted killers, only caring about seeing their enemies' blood spilling out onto the ground and enjoying every second of it. There mates were chosen for them, and the only purpose of having one was to reproduce and keep the population up. Mating was done once, and you were bonded for life. Sex for pleasure was rare. It was usually done to produce a child, or bond a matched pair. The rest of a Saiyan's life was fighting. Many died young, and almost all in battle. It was considered an honorable way to die. Love or affection was almost nonexistent.

Vegeta was almost asleep when his scouter beeped, startling them both. Sasha jumped back, and Vegeta growled in irritation. He picked up the device from under the hammock, putting it to his ear.

"What is it, Nappa?" he growled, clearly annoyed. He could almost feel Nappa cringe on the other end of the conversation.

"Well, Vegeta, I found some food." He said tentatively. The prince growled again, louder this time.

"And it took you this long? You're pathetic, Nappa. Do not contact me until tomorrow; and that's an order." Not waiting for a response, Vegeta broke the contact, shoving the scouter back in its place under the hammock.

"Who was that?" asked Sasha. Vegeta rolled his eyes.

"Just one of my dimwit servants." He answered distastefully. She smiled tiredly.

"Well, if you're done chatting, I think we should get to bed." Sasha said, yawning. Vegeta couldn't ignore how tired he was. Being in suspended animation for a year sure took a lot out of a person. He nodded his agreement as they both climbed into their hammocks, abandoning the food until tomorrow.

Vegeta settled into the hammock, which was surprisingly comfortable. It was much less cramped than his space pod, or his bed back on Freeza's ship. The soft fleece blanket was comfortably warm, not letting in any draft as the hammock swung gently back and forth. His thoughts drifted to Sasha as he lay there in the quiet darkness. The prince was still mystified as to why her Saiyan memories and instincts were locked away in her mind. At least, that's where he assumed them to be. He hoped they weren't irretrievable or somehow erased. But there was something about her that aroused his interest. He didn't know what it was, but it was definitely something. It was like seeing something shiny on the ground, and curiosity was pulling you in. Like you really wanted whatever it was, but didn't know it until someone else tried to take it. The mysteries were fizzing in his mind, but Vegeta pushed them away, trying to escape to the blissful nothingness of sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Vegeta woke up in the middle of the night to his scouter beeping frantically at him. He vaulted out of the hammock and picked it up. There was a power level, and a very high one, very near. The source was pinpointed to Sasha! He rushed over to the hammock across the room. She had a power level of 1570 and rising! She was twitching and mumbling in her sleep, her features contorted in fear and rage. The words were in a foreign language, but it was somehow familiar to the Saiyan prince. She was speaking Saiyan. Her cries were getting more frantic, the twitches more violent. Vegeta shook her roughly.

"Wake up, woman, wake up!" he called frantically. Suddenly her eyes shot open, a scream tearing from her mouth. Her fist connected with his jaw at blinding speed. Vegeta stumbled back, caught off guard. She had some strength! Sasha sat up, gasping, her eyes wide with terror. "What the hell is wrong with you, woman?" he said in shock. She appeared to calm down.

"Sorry," she said softly. "Now you know what I mean by 'trouble sleeping'" He just looked at her for a moment. Her power level had dropped to 103. "I keep having these awful nightmares. I don't even really know what they're about…"

Vegeta was still shocked by her sudden powerup, his jaw still aching from the punch. "I'll explain tomorrow, ok? Just go back to sleep for now." He was too tired to do anything else, and got into bed, resolving to question her about these nightmares tomorrow.

The prince woke up in the morning to food being cooked. Cooked properly, not burning or poorly mixed. He tossed the blanket off of him, rolling out of the hammock. Stretching, he followed his nose to the kitchen, where Sasha was cooking breakfast. She smiled, seeing him walk in the doorway.

"Hey, you hungry?" she asked, putting a pancake on a plate. Vegeta's stomach growled in response. The Saiyan girl giggled at the noise. "I'll take that as a 'yes'."

He immediately began wolfing down the food, competing with Sasha to finish first. A few minutes of food inhalation later, they both stopped, gasping for air, food all over their faces.

"Ok, let's call it a tie," she said, breathing hard. The Saiyan prince didn't have the breath to argue.

"Deal," he gasped. They cleaned up, and packed away the rest of the food.

Walking back to Sasha's room to get dressed, Vegeta wondered if he would hear from Nappa today. With a growl, he concluded that the big oaf would probably contact him about something ridiculously small or insignificant three or four times.

He almost walked straight into Sasha when she stopped in the doorway to let him go first. Vegeta shook his head, coming back to reality.

"Hey," said Sasha, "I don't feel like going to school today. Wanna ditch with me?" He smirked.

"I couldn't agree more." Vegeta watched as Sasha dug out a black shirt and tan baggy cargo pants, and tossed them at his face.

"You can wear these. No offense, but we don't see many guys in blue spandex and armor around here." Vegeta sweatdropped. He didn't even have any other clothes to wear. He shrugged and pulled on the shirt and shorts, feeling slightly ridiculous. She had on a similar black shirt that said 'Slipknot' across the front, and darker tan shorts. Looking in the mirror, Vegeta saw that he didn't look as bad as he originally thought. The black shirt he was wearing said 'Metallica' across its front, and the words 'Master of Puppets' in smaller print under it. An image of a graveyard with puppet strings attached to it took up the rest of the space. He decided he liked that shirt.

"What do you want to do?" she asked, leaning against the doorframe. Suddenly Vegeta remembered last night's episode.

"First, I have a few questions to ask you." He said seriously. Her expression hardened.  
"Is this about my nightmares?"

"Yes," he answered bluntly. "They may be clues from your subconscious about your Saiyan heritage." Sasha looked worried.

"What do you mean?"

"Saiyans are able to recall even their earliest memories. So you should be able to remember your past, if you try hard enough."

"Ok…" she said uncertainly. She sat down on the hammock.

"Now," said Vegeta, putting his hands on her shoulders, "I want you to look deep inside yourself. Delve into your mind, and find what should have been there in the first place. Look inside, and find your true self."

Sasha closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. As if on cue, she suddenly went limp in his grip. Her pulse was very slow, her breathing barely detectable. He let her lay back on the hammock, putting a hand to her forehead and closing his own eyes. This way he would be able to see whatever she did.

Entering the inky blackness of her subconscious was a unique experience. All sense of up and down disappeared, and gravity melted away, leaving only the palpable darkness that served as a screen for memories. The prince had no idea where to start looking. He willed himself toward her childhood memories. It seemed like an eternity before he got anywhere. He was faced with a hard barrier to the memories of her childhood. He tried to force his way past it, to no avail. It became obvious that only Sasha herself could break this barrier. Vegeta made his voice heard in her mind.

_Sasha_, _you must break this barrier to access your Saiyan memories._ A wave of confusion was his answer. _Will yourself to break through. Only your power can get you there._ This time there was tight concentration in the atmosphere of her mind, and then a tremendous force pressed upon the dark world, against the barrier. It got tighter and tighter, until Vegeta thought he couldn't bear the tension anymore. Then the barrier shattered. It was like a dam exploding. The pressure was released for a split second, and then waves of memories came crashing down like a tidal wave.

Suddenly everything took shape. The darkness molded itself to replay the memories.

_It was a shock, being pushed from the warmth and silence of the womb to the cold noisiness of the world. The small Saiyan girl cried at the sudden change. She is able to see from the moment she is born. Her mother gently pushes the wild black hair from her face. She is exhausted, but proud of her baby._

"_We have to get her out of here, Samphire! (_pronouncedsahm-FEAR-ay_)." Yelled her mate Taro. The woman smiled sadly, clinging to her daughter as the planet's rumbles and the screams of the dying increased in volume. She stumbled tiredly to one of the few remaining space pods. Taro was fighting to keep his mate and newborn daughter safe from the crumbling pieces of the dying planet. Samphire opened the pod's door, gently placing the child inside. The rumbles were almost deafening now._

_Samphire looked down at her child._

"_My daughter, always remember who you are, and carry on the pride of the Saiyan race." She closed the door of the pod, looking through the red-tinted glass at her daughter. "I love you, Zakira." She said, taking one last look at her daughter before pressing the launch button on the pod and sending her off into space._

_Little Zakira looked back in horror as planet Vegeta exploded into red dust. It was the last thing she saw before the pod's suspended animation gas was released, putting the Saiyan child into a deep sleep._


	3. Chapter 3

Sasha's eyes opened wide, and she gasped for breath as if coming up from underwater. Vegeta did the same, and for a moment they both just lay there, taking in the magnitude of the memory they had just witnessed. Neither one spoke as they sat up on the hammock. Her dark eyes were wide with confusion and fear. His face was a mask of anger, rage boiling in his eyes like lava. Sasha was shaking slightly, almost emanating confusion and fear.

"What am I, Vegeta?" she whispered. The prince looked up at her scared face, his expression softening.

"You should be proud. You are a Saiyan," he murmured, looking at how much she resembled her mother. He could remember, during his life on planet Vegeta, almost every member of the Royal Guard. Samphire had been one of the most respected female members of the Guard. Her mate, Taro, had only been a second class, but once they were bonded, it was irreversible. "Zakira," he said seriously, "you must be trained." It wasn't a question. She straightened; all traces of fear gone from her face, replaced with fierce determination. Vegeta smirked. "This should be interesting."

Out in the empty field a few blocks down from Sasha's apartment building, Vegeta was rummaging in his space pod, looking in all the secret compartments and nooks of the small ship. Sasha was standing guard, on the lookout for any nosy passerby. Finally the short prince found what he was looking for. A small capsule clutched in his hand, Vegeta closed the door of the pod, grunting to get Sasha's attention. She turned around, watching with interest as he exploded the capsule, producing a set of armor, made especially for females.

"Put this on," he said. "It's Saiyan armor. Nappa will be contacting me soon about Kakarrot's location." She looked up from examining her new outfit.

"Who's Kakarrot?" she asked confusedly. "You never mentioned him before." Vegeta snorted with contempt.

"The brother of one of my soldiers. He was supposedly sent to this planet as an infant, much like you, to purge it of all life. Why he hasn't completed this mission remains to be seen." Her eyes widened.

"Well, I'm happy he didn't!" she said in slight shock.

As they were walking back to her apartment, Sasha asked,  
"What destroyed our planet?" Vegeta stopped suddenly underneath the balcony. He turned to face her.

"An evil greater than anything you've ever seen." He answered coldly. She gave him a confused look, brows furrowed.

"What do you mean?" He growled in fury, remembering the monster who had destroyed their almost their entire race.

"Freeza," he spat. "The bastard who destroyed our world, our pride, and nearly our entire race!" He was yelling by the end of the sentence. The fur on Sasha's tail puffed out in anger, lashing back and forth. Her eyes blazed with fury, a growl escaping her throat. To his great surprise, she rose into the air, shooting off into the distance. He immediately followed, but had to use his scouter several times. She was fast!

He landed several minutes later on a desert plateau. Sasha had put on the armor, and was blowing up rock formations with ki blasts and furious screams. She immediately flew down in front of him, getting right in his face.

"I'll kill him! I'll kill him and regain the pride of our race!" she spat. Before she could fly off, Vegeta grabbed her shoulder.

"You can't just go out there and take on Freeza!" he snapped. "You have no training whatsoever and no idea what you're up against! Use your head!" Suddenly the fire disappeared from her eyes; the wild glint of revenge was gone, leaving the bright, amiable ebony orbs of the girl he met yesterday. Her expression softened, and she relaxed.

"I know," she whispered. She looked up, trying to shake off what had happened. "I don't know what came over me. I was just so angry, and there was this burning desire to fight someone…" Vegeta knew this feeling very well. It was common for young or untrained Saiyans to have this urge. While it could be an advantage in battle, it was also dangerous. She could do something reckless or stupid, urged on by the insatiable desire to fight.

Vegeta reached back into the ship, pulling out the spare scouter he kept inside. He handed it to her. "Put this on. It will allow you to contact me or anyone else with a scouter, as well as judge your opponent's power levels."

Sasha took the device from his hand, examining it with wonder. "So it's like having a cell phone constantly on your face?" she asked. Vegeta didn't know what she was talking about, but didn't want to look like a fool, and nodded his head. Looking her over, the prince liked how the spandex hugged her body. It made her curves stand out even more; long, slender legs displayed nicely by the dark blue fabric. Vegeta snapped himself out of the daydream, mentally berating himself for being distracted. _Now is not the time to be drooling over women! You're here for immortality, nothing more!_ He told himself, trying to shake the pleasant fizzy feeling in his stomach.

"Let's start with the basics," said Vegeta briskly. Sasha nodded, looking focused. "You flew once, but you have to know what to do, and how to do it, at any time." He rose into the air, Sasha's onyx orbs widening in amazement.

"How do I do it?" she asked eagerly, tail lashing in excitement. Vegeta sighed.

"Find your ki, and use it. Look into yourself, and find that energy. Manipulate it; bend it to your will." Sasha's eyes were closed in concentration, her entire body still. After a few seconds, she rose slowly into the air. Her eyes opened, and she smiled.

"I did it!" she said excitedly.

Vegeta smirked. "So you did." While Sasha was experimenting with her newfound ability, the prince charged a ki blast and hurled it at her. She turned around just in time to see the blast. For a moment her face was frozen in terror, but her expression quickly changed to one of rage, and she fired a huge blast to meet the one coming at her. The purple blast instantly detonated upon colliding with his blue one. She back-flipped out of range of the blast, landing gracefully on the ground. After the smoke cleared, Sasha marched up to Vegeta, grabbing him roughly by the collar.

"You short little bastard!" she said angrily. "What the hell was that for?" She tossed him back onto the ground, eyes blazing. "At least warn me if you want to fight!"

Vegeta was stunned at her sudden change in attitude. For a moment he didn't know what to say, but slowly his ego regained control. He jumped up from the dusty ground. While he was impressed with her power and reaction, no one, _no one_, treated the prince of the Saiyans in such a manner. "Woman!" he snarled. "You will treat your prince with respect!"

Sasha turned around. "Prince or no prince, that was low!" she spat. Vegeta swiftly closed the distance between them. She didn't flinch as he got right in her face, levitating himself so he didn't have to look up, since she was a few inches taller than him.

"Arrogant bitch!" he growled in her face.

She smirked. "Speak for yourself."

Vegeta's jaw nearly dropped. He spluttered, searching for a comeback. When he had none, Sasha smirked again.

"That's what I thought," she said smartly and started to leave. That was it for Vegeta.

With a snarl, he lunged for her tail, giving a yank. She gave a bloodcurdling screech, not expecting the blow. Sasha turned around, freeing her tail and backhanding Vegeta, sending him skidding a few yards back.

For a moment it seemed as if time had gone still. Sasha released her throbbing tail, her eyes full of concern and shock. The Saiyan prince sat up, wiping a trickle of blood from his lip with a gloved hand. Slowly he got to his feet, trying to shake the dizziness from his head. He stumbled forward, and Sasha ran over to help steady him. Vegeta roughly pushed her away, growling. She hung her head.

"I'm sorry, Vegeta," she said softly. His anger melted away, replaced with the unfamiliar yet pleasant fizzy feeling in his stomach.

He straightened, shaking his head to clear it. "Don't be," he said gruffly. "That was a good reaction. You didn't let your weakness overcome you." Sasha brightened at the compliment. "But that's why you keep your tail around your waist, especially in battle. It's the most sensitive part of a Saiyan's body and, even with training, can be a crippling weakness." She nodded seriously, wrapping her tail around her waist. He formed a ball of bright blue ki in his hand. "This is one of your main weapons in battle." He said, tossing it up and down a few times. Before Sasha could ask what it was, he threw it at her. Acting on instinct, she leapt into the air and detonated the ball with a blast of her own purple ki. She landed next to him, breathing heavily, but with excitement shining in her dark eyes.

Vegeta smirked at her reaction time. "A good start, but don't expend so much energy on one counterattack. Conserving your strength is key."

"Ok," said Sasha. "But when am I going to use this?"

Vegeta laughed out loud. "You are a Saiyan, you must be trained. We can't have your power go to waste, now can we?" he said, smirking.

Vegeta went on to show her the basics of physical combat and ki focusing. Sasha was a fast learner, and breezed through the basics. During the more advanced training, a few fights broke out when Sasha's Saiyan side made an unexpected appearance, but apart from a few bruises, no one got (seriously) hurt.

Both were breathing heavily by the end of the last spar. They collapsed on the ground next to each other, looking up at the darkening sky. Sasha turned her head towards the short prince.

"I call first shower when we get back," she said, smiling.

Vegeta smirked back. "We'll see."

They flew back to Sasha's apartment, racing for the shower. They ended up pushing each other in and out, soaking themselves and the bathroom. They cleaned up just in time for Sasha's dad to get home from work. Both were quickly asleep, as the sparring had worn them out.

Vegeta woke up to his scouter beeping early in the morning. The noise of him getting up roused Sasha. She listened as he put the scouter to his ear. The voice of Nappa crackled on the other line.

"Prince Vegeta," said Nappa, "I've found Kakarrot."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey, it's chapter four! This is where it starts to follow the story line more. Vegeta and Nappa fight Piccolo, Gohan, Krillin, Tien, Yamcha, and Chiaotzu (Choutzu?), as they try to stall for time while Goku comes back from Otherworld. Anyway, I hope to get more chapters out faster from now on, because I know from experience how frustrating it is to have to wait weeks between updates. -.- I will try to get a chapter out maybe once every week or two. Probably mostly on weekends, because of school.**

Vegeta smirked at the news. "I'll be there shortly," he replied with a grin.

Sasha got out of bed and started putting her armor on along with him. He looked at her, raising a brow.

"You're staying here," he said. It wasn't a question.

She growled. "I want to come with you." She said stubbornly.

The prince scoffed at her obstinacy. "I will recruit Kakarrot, return for you, and then I will explain the rest of my plan."

Sasha huffed. "Don't blame me if you get your butt kicked."

Vegeta bristled with indignation. "The prince of the Saiyans does _not_ get his butt kicked!"

She was unsuccessfully stifling laughter by now. "Whatever you say!" she gasped between bouts of laughter.

He scowled, crossing his arms. "Stay here until I return with Kakarrot," he growled, becoming more annoyed with her laughter. Finally she stopped, holding in a few stray giggles.

Vegeta just scoffed, flying out from the balcony. He touched his scouter to contact Nappa.

"Nappa, I'm on my way. Hold your position and Kakarrot's."

Nappa's voice sounded clearly through the scouter. "Affirmative." He said; anticipation obvious in his tone. The prince didn't bother to answer, as he knew the empty-headed oaf wouldn't listen or care about what he said. Flying over the barren desert, he neared Nappa's position. The rock formations were tall and jagged, good for fighting on.

Suddenly several small figures came into view. Vegeta landed near them, crossing his arms and coldly looking on at the fight. He scanned the figures. None of them matched Raditz's description of Kakarrot.

He growled. "Nappa, none of these idiots is Kakarrot!" he snarled irritably.

Nappa cringed, looking nervous. "But Vegeta, I-I thought that was Kakarrot," he said, pointing at the one with the scarred face.

Vegeta growled again. "Nappa, you imbecile! Weren't you listening to Raditz's description of Kakarrot? You're pathetic." He spat venomously. The large muscled man blanched at Vegeta's words. The short prince looked over their adversaries. An average –looking man with a scarred face, a man with three eyes, a tall green one, and three short chibi-looking ones. One with a face whiter than death, one with long, spiky black hair and a funny outfit, and one with a shiny bald head and no nose. He scoffed; none of them looked too formidable, with the exception of the tall green man. But Nappa could handle them. What he wanted to know was the location of Kakarrot.

The bald one whispered to the chibi, "I really hope Goku gets here soon because this is not good." The look of intense worry on his face testified to that.

The chibi looked at him determinedly. "Don't worry, Krillin, he'll be here." He said quietly.

"Thanks, Gohan," replied the one called Krillin, not looking reassured at all.

Vegeta smirked, having overheard their conversation. "So, Kakarrot is on his way?" he asked with a smirk. The two, Gohan and Krillin, were shocked at being overheard. Krillin simply stuttered fearfully, while Gohan's face contorted in anger.

"Yeah, that's right!" he shouted angrily. "My dad's gonna get here and kick your butts!"

Vegeta raised an eyebrow. "So Kakarrot has a brat? Figures."

Nappa butted in. "I overheard Raditz talking about Kakarrot hitting his head," said the bulky warrior, excited to contribute to the conversation.

The prince scoffed. "This doesn't look like it will be much of a fight. Nappa, entertain yourself while I retrieve something." He said briskly before taking off into the air.

Vegeta had decided to bring Sasha along to witness Kakarrot's defeat, as well as give her some battle experience. He scanned the city below him, looking for the now-familiar building that was Sasha's home. He landed in the balcony, waiting impatiently for the sliding-glass door to be opened.

It was opened by the person he was hoping to see. Sasha looked surprised to see him.

"Did you find Kakarrot?" she asked, eyebrows raised.

He sighed irritably. "No, I came to find you. I think this would be good experience for you. Now hurry up and get ready."

Sasha nodded, darting into her bedroom and putting on her armor. Soon they were flying together across the arid desert, back to Nappa and the others.

Suddenly a sonic boom from a large explosion rattled their eardrums. Sasha hissed in discomfort, covering her ears. Vegeta just gritted his teeth, refusing to show weakness in front of anyone. They landed near the source of the sound. Nappa was grinning widely at the Namek several hundred feet in front of him. The green man's entire front was charred and burnt from the huge blast meant for Gohan. The Namek collapsed, and the boy began to wail. Vegeta surveyed the damage. Three others were dead: the scar-face, the three-eyed one, and there was no sign of the white-faced one. Krillin was shaking in fear and shock.

Vegeta huffed impatiently. "Still no Kakarrot? Not very punctual, is he?" Gohan was about to spit an angry retort when a smile spread across his face, and he looked to the sky.

"Krillin, do you feel that? It's got to be my dad!" he said joyously. The short bald man appeared to have "felt it" as well. A wide grin broke out on his face, and he gave a triumphant laugh.

"You're right, Gohan!" he exclaimed. "It has to be Goku!"

Vegeta was about to suggest that they might be bluffing, when his and everyone else's scouters beeped at them. There was a high power level approaching, and fast. Suddenly a man on a yellow cloud zoomed down to the battlefield. He was wearing a bright orange gi and navy blue boots and undershirt. His hair was black and ridiculously spiky. He looked like he had just gotten out of bed and not bothered to comb his hair. Ever. He got off the cloud, and it zipped away into the sky.

Vegeta smirked, crossing his arms. "Well, Kakarrot, I see you've finally decided to show your face." Goku didn't reply; he was sizing up each one of them and their power levels.

"So," said Goku quietly to the two next to him, "these are the Saiyans."

"Y-yeah," stuttered a still frazzled Krillin.

Gohan looked up at his father. "You can beat 'em, Dad," he said with a determined expression. Goku smiled. His son was far different than the meek little boy he had been only six months before. He looked seriously down at them both.

"I want you both to get far away from here. This is my fight, and I want you to be safe."

"But, Dad—"

"No, Gohan," he said gently but firmly. "Think of what Chi-Chi would feel like if you died." He turned to Krillin. "Make sure you both stay safe." He said, entrusting his friend with the safety of his son.

Krillin straightened, looking conflicted. He hesitated for a moment before saying, "You can count on me, Goku." They both hurried off to get away.

Goku then turned his full attention to the three Saiyans in front of him.

"Finally ready, Kakarrot?" asked the prince dryly.

The spiky-haired Saiyan nodded, smiling confidently. He began to power up, causing rocks to float into the air and the ground to rumble. His yells increased in volume as Gohan and Krillin hurried away. Nappa looked surprised, taking a step back. Vegeta just watched in awe, and Sasha looked fascinated. Goku stopped yelling, and the rocks fell back to the ground.

"Vegeta…" said Nappa.

The prince didn't respond.

"Vegeta!" said Nappa loudly. "Vegeta, what's wrong with you? Tell me what his power level is!"

Vegeta took off his scouter. "It's over 9000!" He yelled, crushing the device in his hand.

"What! 9000! You gotta be kidding me, that thing's a piece of junk!" (A/N: I just HAD to put that in there!) Sasha just looked on in amazement.

Nappa growled. "I can still take him!" he yelled and ran at Goku. The spiky-haired Saiyan simply sidestepped the attack, leaving a confused Nappa in his wake. The bald man grunted in surprise, slowing to a stop. The two began to fight in the air, and Vegeta turned around to look at Sasha, who was watching the fight intently, tail swaying back and forth almost hypnotically.

He walked to her side, and she didn't move a muscle. He waved a hand in front of her face. She jumped; then relaxed when she recognized him. But she still looked tense, like a snake ready to strike. Her dark eyes were fixed on the two fighting forms phasing in and out of the air. Almost subconsciously she lowered into a fighting stance, waiting for the perfect moment to attack. Vegeta placed a restraining hand on her shoulder. Sasha appeared to have come out of a trance. She straightened, looking down at the short Saiyan beside her.

"Don't get involved unless I say so," said Vegeta gruffly. Sasha opened her mouth to protest, but thought better of it, settling for an annoyed growl. She sat down on a nearby rock, crossing her arms and legs and closing her eyes. Vegeta stood still, watching the fight progress.

He had long since spaced out when the cry of "Ka…Me…Ha…Me…HAAAAAAA!" rang out, followed by a bright blue wave of energy. It was met by Nappa's mouth blast, the two colliding with a tremendous noise. Dust billowed all over, and Vegeta closed his eyes against the swirling sand. When it cleared, the two fighters were motionless in the air. Goku's brows were furrowed in confusion.

"Huh," he said. "The Kamehameha should have at least done a little bit of damage. Neither of us are gonna make much headway at this rate.

Vegeta was getting annoyed. "That's enough, Nappa!" he called to the muscled man. "I believe the traitor has proven himself to be your match."

Nappa looked stunned. "B-but I—" he started to stutter.

"Don't give me that. It appears that I will have to finish this myself." Said the prince with slight contempt. Nappa frantically scanned the battlefield, and his eyes locked onto Gohan and Krillin. He grinned savagely.

"You two are dead!" he yelled and was about to charge them, when Goku intervened. With almost blinding speed, he caught up to the burly Saiyan warrior and punched him hard in the back, tossing him at Vegeta's feet. He lay, twitching, on the ground. He stretched his arm out to Vegeta.

"Vegeta, I-I can't move," he gasped out. "H-help me."

Vegeta smirked and grasped Nappa's hand. Nappa looked relieved for a split second, his expression rapidly changing to one of fear. "I have no use for a partner who can't fight." He said coldly. "You're just dead weight now." With that, he hurled the screaming Nappa into the air, followed by a ki blast that obliterated him.

Nappa's cry of "You dirty rat!" could still be heard echoing around the desert plateau. There was total silence except for the wind blowing across the sand and rock.


End file.
